South Hampton, Va

A clip from a great great aunts journal

Here goes, I will type this in my Great Great Aunt Sadie’s words……

(top of the page ) Was elected January 1953 and elected for second term Jan. 1957

Trace Ike Ancestors into Lykens Valley (President Dwight Eisenhower)

Lykens Valley and its inhabitants, especially those residing in the area around Millersburg and Elizabethville, are highly complimented by the recent election and inauguration of president Dwight D. Eisenhower. He is the first president whose ancestors lived in that area.

In November 1741, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Eisenhower and their family of three sons and a daughter landed at the port of Philadelphia. They were among the other immigrants who had come from the Rhineland in Europe and sailed from Holland on the Europa. Nicholas and his family immediately headed west and settled at Bethel (House of God) then in Lancaster County but now part of Lebanon Co.

It is claimed that Frederick Eisenhower, great grandfather of President Eisenhower, at one time lived at the homestead where Rufus R. Romberger and family now live. Jacob Eisenhower, the presidents grandfather, was born about four miles east of Harrisburg in 1827. After his marriage to Rebecca Matter, he moved in 1854 to the spacious 96 acre farm at the western edge of Elizabethville which he had purchased from Samuel Baker.

Jacob and his father Fredrick both belonged to the Baker River Brethren Church. In 1863 Jacob succeeded Jacob Landis as the preacher of the Lykens Valley District.

David Eisenhower the president’s father was born Sept 23, 1863. It was in 1878 that Jacob Eisenhower moved his family to Kansas. He frequently visited the Brethren in Lykens Valley and some of the older residents recall his visits and the sermons he preached. The president was born in Texas but lived as a boy in Kansas.

Six of Jacob Eisenhower’s children as well as a brother and his mother are buried on the hillside at Free Grace cemetery. It is through Annie Eisenhower that the Eisenhower tradition is perpetuated in Lykens Valley. She married Joseph Novinger and they had five children. Mrs. Sarah E. Lebo, now cherishes a personal letter from cousin Ike which he sent her while he was supreme commander of the NATO forces in Europe. A number of descendants of Rebecca Matter, the presidents grandmother, also reside in the Valley.

Census Record ~ Matter

Here is my presidential relation

This relation is on my fathers mother's side. (my grandmother) Who would have thought I am actually related!

Jacob Frederick EISENHOWER (Eisenhauer)

Birth Date: 19 Sep 1826
Birth Place: Elizabethville, Dauphine Co. Pennsylvania
Death Date: 20 May 1906
Death Place: Both buried in Belle Springs River Brethern Cem.
Burial Place: 12 Miles south of Abilene, Dickinson Co. Kan.
Occupation: Preacher, Farmer
Religion: Bretheren In Christ, not aka Dunkards

Notes:
Born Eisenhauer. In the 1850 Lower Paxton Twp., Dalphine Co. Census, he was listed as John Frederick Isenhour. Hereafter the spelling is Eisenhower. He became a prosperous farmer In 1854, he built a 9-room brick house at # 530 West Main Street, Elizabethville. It was insured against fire with Lykens Vally Mutual Fire Ins. Co. which is still in business at # 8 West Main Street. He, like most Eisenhauers of the day were Lutheran but he changed to the Church of the Brethern in Christ, the Faith of his wife when they married and became very active in its activities. His home served also as a meeting place for his congregation. All of his children were born in Elizabethville. Grand-father of D. D. Eisenhower.
In 1878-1879 a colony of several hundred of these (Susquehanna) River Brethern from Penn. [a Mennonite Sect]. arrived in the old-time corrupt cowtown of Abilene, Dickinson County, Kan.. They brought with them fifteen carloads of household and farming equipment, and more than a half-million dollars in cash. With this stuff they at once began to organize homes and fields on virgin land purchased from the Kansas Pacific Railroad.
Jacob prreached in Bolivar, Tuscarawas Co., Ohio for a while before he and his father moved to near Abilene, Dickinson Co. Kan. in 1879, where he purchased 160 acre farm. They became leaders in the River Brethern Settlement. This denomination was formed in Pennsylvania in 1770 among Swiss immigrants who lived along the Sesquehanna River.

Research:
Sarah A Wetzel, grand-daughter of David Jacob Eisenhower; The Encyclopedia Americana, 1956, Americana Corporation, New York; Vol. 10, p. 42. Mrs. Richardson-Taylor's Eisenhower History. His wife's full name from 1860 Federal Census. George Ulch, 3255 Regal Crest Drive, Longwood, FL 32779-3185, , ..


Spouse: Rebecca E. 'Margaret' Matter
Birth Date: 18 Mar 1825
Birth Place: Elizabethville, Washington Twp. Dauphine Co. Penn
Death Date: 22 Jun 1890
Death Place: Abilene, Kan.
Religion: Brethern In Christ [River Brethern]
Spouse Father: Henrick (Henry) Matter (1796-1868)
Spouse Mother: Anna Mary "Polly" Dietrich (1803-1865)

Spouse Notes:
Margareta Rebecca Mattaer was the 3rd daughter of Henry Matter b. 26 Dec 1796 and d. 01 Oct 1868, [b/d in Dauphine Co. Penn. ] and Anna Mary "Polly"Dietrich, b. 1803. (see #6 below)

(1) Hans Matter
Birth Date: 1614, Alsace-Lorraine, France
Death Date: 20 Feb 1681, Eckendorf, Alsace-Lorraine, France
Spouse: Catherina (unknown) b. 1616, d. 06 March 1698, Eckendorf, Alsace-Lorraine, France.

(2) Diabold Matter
Birth Date: 1647, Eckendorf, Alsace-Lorraine,France
Death Date: 18 Feb 1728, Altdorf, Alsace-Lorraine, Germany
Spouse: Margaratha Kueffer
Birth Date: 1656, Eckendorf, Alsace-Lorraine, France
Death Date: 08 Nov 1726, Altdorf, Alsace-Lorraine, Germany
Notes: d/o Christmann Kueffer, d. 06 Mar 1698, Eckendorf, Alsace-Lorraine, France & Catharina Gautzberg, b. 1633, Alsace-Lorraine, France, d. 01 Oct 1688, Eckendorf, Alsace-Lorraine, France. Catharina's parents were Anna & Melchoir Gautzberg, b. 1607, Alsace-Lorraine, France

(3) Johannes Hans Matter , Sr.
Birth Date: 11 May 1692, Alsace-Lorraine, France
Death Date: 06 May 1736, Altforf, Alsace-Loraine, Germany
Spouse: Anna Christina Keiser
Birth Date: 1656, Eckendorf, Alsace-Lorraine, France
Death Date: 08 Nov 1726, Altdorf, Alsace-Lorraine, Germany

(4) 1.1.1.1 Johannes Hans Matter , Jr. [Spelled Mather in older records].
Birth Place: Altdorf, Alsace-Lorraine, Germany
Death Date: 26 May 1802, Upper Paxton Twp, Dauphine Co. Penn.
Spouse: Salome Staklschmidt
Birth Date: 1737, Altdorf, Alace-Lorraine Germany

(5) Michael Matter
Birth Date: 03 Oct 1763
Death Date: 01 Feb 1852, Luken Valley, Penn.
Spouse: Anna Marie Romberg,
Birth Date: 12 Jun 1771, Lukens Valley, Penn, d/o Balthasar Romberg
Death Date: 26 Feb 1838, Dauphine Co. Penn.
Notes: Mrs Richardson-Taylor's book had Henry and Elizabeth Romberger as her parents as does gaulch@iag.net, but, Anne Marie Traut, b.1749, d. c1785 & Balthasar Raumberger were her parents ( by two Ancestry.com submitters);

(6) Henrick (Henry) Matter, father of Margareta Rebecca Matter
Birth Date: 26 Dec 1796, Dauphine Co. Penn.
Death Date: 01 Oct 1868, Dauphine Co. Penn.
Spouse: Anna Mary "Polly" Dietrich, d/o Jacob & Anna Magdalena Dietrich
Birth Date: 15 Mar 1803, Lukens, Penn
Death Date: 11 Nov 1865, Dauphine Co. Penn.

dowfam3@aol.com; womerjt@earthlink.net

My granfathers name is Floyd Matter and grandmother's name is Tabitha (Tab) Ellen Barrick, both of Penn. He had brothers Clifford & Harold they live in Fla.
Thier childrens naames are.Floyd Matter, Jr.; Mary Eileen Matter; Anita; Pat & Danny